


Day Two

by AwatereJones



Series: Kaboom Verse [2]
Category: Torchwood
Genre: Alt Verse, Angst, Comedy, Drama, F/M, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-02
Updated: 2017-02-15
Packaged: 2018-09-21 15:14:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 13,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9554405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwatereJones/pseuds/AwatereJones
Summary: So they survived the inital blast...day two dawns with clearer heads and shock wearing off.  Now they must find a way to survive the coming days.





	1. 6.30am

Ianto woke to an empty bed.

Although Jack had risen and left early he had left behind a set of clean clothes and to Ianto's surprise there was a pair of old crutches that looked like they belonged in a museum leaning against the chair.

Ianto dressed and sighed at the loose track pants that he knew would cover the cast. He made his way down stairs where he found his sister sitting at the table with a bleary expression as Alice fried some bacon.

"Where are the others?" Ianto tasked, surprised to hear his own voice as raspy as his sister's look.

"The kids are still asleep and the others are in what Owen keeps calling the 'shit hub' for some reason" Alice replied and Ianto groaned.

"Did you sleep any?" Rhiannon asked as Ianto slid into a chair remembering she had just lost her husband and he pulled her into a hug.

"Uncle?"

Ianto leaned back to look at Micha and the rabbit she was hugging to her chest, "David's crying."

"I'll go" Rhiannon sighed but Ianto patted her arm.

"He might not want you to see him doing it" he whispered, "seems like he is trying to be the man for you. Let me go, he might have a good cry then."

She nodded and watched him hobble off, the crutches forgotten and she smiled.

Always was a stubborn little bugger.

Ianto found David sitting in the floor with the animals, sniffling as he stroked a rabbit.

"Hey" Ianto said softly, settling next to him and letting him lean against him. "It's OK. Everything happened so fast, we had no time. It's OK to mourn. To take a minute. It doesn't make you weak, it makes you a man to know when to let go."

David started to cry, wailing as he let the rabbit go and they sat there for a while just holding each other. Ianto felt for the pudgy kid, already looking like his father.

God, no wonder Rhiannon is in knots.

After a while Ianto looked around and sighed, "What a fucking boring room."

David looked up at him.

"I mean…look at it. Fucking boring!" Ianto repeated and David grinned at the open cursing. "You know…we need…something for them to play with. Some mattresses or even an old couch or two so you can be in here with them, they have some soft bedding. Some old blankets? Toys? Got to be toys in all that shit we boxed up like lunatics yesterday that is suitable for them. Rabbits like balls don't they?"

"Do they?" the boy asked with surprise.

"Let's go see, maybe I packed some books about them too, think there was one on rabbits. I know there was one on chickens. God, those little bantam things are fluffy."

David scrambled to his feet, his crying jag over as he eagerly followed his uncle to the bins and Stephen followed with interest.

"This one, this one and …there. With the red lid. Food, I think." Ianto pointed and the boys set to, pulling them out to eagerly take to the petting room.

Ianto stood in the house and looked around at the old place with a new eye. This was to be home for the next few weeks. He knew this now and if so, they needed to stop thinking of themselves as guest and with this in mind he went in search of Jack.

"Got a minute?" he asked as he found him in a room staring at old photos.

"Look at this old mill down the road, lovely" Jack said softly.

"You've spoken with Her Majesty, right?" Ianto said as he stepped closer, "Are you speaking with her again today?"

"Yeah, about lunchtime I was gonna call on the sat phone." Jack turned to face him , "Why?"

"We need to formally requisition this place. I want rip shit about and we may destroy things, break things and …I don't know. Let the kids paint the walls with their hands or something weird once the cabin fever sets in."

Jack watched Ianto's arms flap expressively, something he didn't do in company and he stepped closer.

"I will try soon then love" he said softly, his hands reaching for Ianto's hips, "I will tell her this is the new Hub now. She will approve the purchase under civil rule. Owen is quite smitten with the basement too. Apparently he is moving Janet down there into a pen he is making out of shelving."

"Oh god" Ianto sighed, "We really need to requisition it before he blows something up."

Jack laughed and leaned in, kissing Ianto gently as he hugged him, "Feel better?"

"Well, I guess it will have to do" Ianto pouted, "If that's all you have on offer."

Jack's face softened as he leaned in again, this kiss more promising and lustful as they rocked to silent music.

"Better?"

Ianto nodded and placed his head against his Captain's shoulder.

A time to mourn ticked past.


	2. 7.30am

Breakfast was wonderful and Jack said so loudly in between bites until Ianto scolded him, reaching out to wipe his chin.

Rhiannon watched this with interest, also noting the surprised look of their friends who clearly didn't know how close the two men were.

"But it's good" Jack whined, licking his fingers.

"I know Cariad, but you teach the children to be slobs!" Ianto scolded and Jack pouted.

"I was hoping to get those drones sorted after breakfast" Tosh said as they ate, "I think it would be a good idea before the place turns to mud with all this rain. If it gets any deeper the remote control cars won't run."

"Agreed" Owen said as he wiped his mouth, "I wanna help with that. I can fly the wee planes the best."

"Well, you two sort that. Ianto and I will do an inventory then sort a more practical living arrangement for the near future." Jack agreed.

"How long?" Alice asked, leaning forward.

"I'm estimating ten to fourteen days to be sure" Ianto said softly, trying to let her down gently. "Three weeks on the outside, we should have relief arriving by then."

"If not?" Alice asked with worry.

"We look at what to do next" Jack assured her, reaching for her hand, "Don't worry poppet. Everything is safe here. We will be fine."

"As we are doing inventory, perhaps one of the food would be a good idea Alice" Ianto said as he rose from the table, "It will be one of the most important things we need to monitor. That and the air outside."

"And me?"Rhiannon asked, desperate for something, anything that kept her busy.

"Room by room" Ianto said, "Sewing kits, soaps, shampoos, robes, clothing. There were guests in here and they evacuated so fast they left stuff behind. Take Stephen and David, they need a task too. We will put aside a room down here as our …I don't know. Whatnot room?"

"Sounds good to me" Stephen said as he stood and rubbed his hands, "I can take up those empty bins from yesterday. Put them along the hall so we can just dump into them and carry everything down easier."

"Sounds like a plan soldier" Jack smiled at him with pride and David finished his drink, then rose.

"We can take up the empty bins now" he said to Stephen and Micha frowned.

"What about me?" she asked.

"I need you to feed the animals and make sure they are not scared of us thumping about. Remember how we fed them last night? Those scoops?" Ianto asked and she nodded solemnly.

"She is such a cutie" Jack grinned as she walked off. "I remember you at that size. I …I knew where she had you and I watched you playing in the back yard. If I sent money she agreed not to leave. If I tried to contact you she would run and I had to start hunting all over again. Like…stay close but not too close. A little yellow sun frock and your hair in braids. I kept that photo in my office desk drawer. Shit, it's gone now."

"It may still be there Jack" Ianto said softly, "In that tin of yours."

Jack nodded silently.

"It's in the crate with the toiletries and our clothes from the bunker" Ianto said and Jack looked at him with raw hope, then shot from the table to see.

"That was a nice thought, grabbing that" Alice said as she looked more closely at the Welshman. "You and dad, you…you re serious aren't you."

"Not sure" Ianto replied, "You keep giving yourself away Melissa Morretti. Jack spoke of you in the dark, his little princess. I know how important his memory tin is. The bunker was where he lived, off the office. I …sort of did too. Yeah. I think …yeah. We are serious."

"Good" she smiled. "Good."

Jack came back in with the tin in his hand and a smile. He sat and opened it, rifling through and then produced the photo to show her.

"I remember this back yard" she said with surprise, "I had a dog. A wee yorkie."

"Yeah" Jack grinned, "Wore a matching ribbon to your hair ones, right?"

She laughed as she agreed and Rhiannon folded her arms.

"Right, how old are you Captain Harkness?" she demanded.

"Er…linear?" Jack asked innocently, then snorted.

"Jack is immortal Rhia, Alice's father. So, he's hundreds of years old … so leave it" Ianto snapped, then grimaced as he apologised.

"An accident a long time ago, in the future" Jack said as he reached out to pat her hand, "I came from another planet, in the future. That's why I am perfect for hunting aliens. I am one. Of earth descent though."

Everyone bar Ianto gaped as Jack went on, "I was once a time agent. We travelled back and forth through time keeping the timelines straight. I had an accident with something that gave me eternal life …and then got stuck here."

"Christ almighty" Rhys snorted, "And you never thought to play the bloody lottery numbers?"

"Ah that's the problem" Jack sighed, "Terrible head for numbers."

They all found themselves laughing at the absurdity of the conversation.

Owen not the only one who realised there was deeper waters between Ianto and Jack than first thought.


	3. 8.00am

Ianto was bending over a bin, trying to gather all the little boxes into his hand, "Sir, the lenses are intact."

"Gods, you grabbed those?"

"I scooped everything from the secure shelf" Ianto shrugged, "Shit. What is this?"

"Where did you get that?" Jack reached for it with surprise, "I didn't even know we had one."

"I have no idea what it is" Ianto admitted as he handed it over, "Was on the shelf as long as I remember."

"Remember. Ha! It's a memory cube" Jack said with wonder. "OK, you know in Harry Potter they have those vials to store memories in? Same difference."

"What's in it?" Ianto tasked with a childlike wonder and Jack shrugged.

"Would need the Tardis for that" he replied, "To show you. It could be anything but it is definitely used."

"You were gonna call Her Majesty" Ianto reminded him and he nodded.

"At half past." He replied, "Give it time to orbit this close."

Ianto nodded and placed the cube down carefully, then started to itemise the contents of the bin he was looking through.

Jack rose to take some MRE rations through to the kitchen and Ianto sat back in his heels sighing softly, and then looking over at the chair the sat phone was in.

It was chirping.

He rose to answer it.

Jack was explaining how to add water to the packets when Ianto walked into the room.

"Yes mum, of course" Ianto said as he motioned Jack with his free had to come get the phone, "I would be pleased to mum."

"Our mum is long dead" Rhiannon started to say and Ianto made a 'shut up' motion as he turned to look at Jack.

"Here he is now mum, pleasure as always" he handed the phone over and Jack took a deep breath.

"Lizzie love" he purred, "How's my wee princess. Hmm?"

He walked from the room and Rhiannon glared at Ianto who was now seated and rubbing the back of his neck.

"Who the fuck were you calling mum!" she demanded.

"Shut up Rhiannon" Ianto snapped "I have bigger problems right now that our dead mother."

"You sure do" Jack snarled as he stormed back in, "What did you tell her?"

"That we were fine for now" Ianto replied and looked up, finding a seething captain snarling in his face.

"What. Did. You. Say. That. Makes. Her. Want. To. Meet. You" Jack emphasised each word with a poke of his finger and Ianto snapped.

Maybe it was the stress of the last few days, maybe it was always going to happen and Jack poked the wrong spot but Ianto was swinging before either man realised what he was doing as Jack landed back on his arse.

"You know that shoulder was injured after the blast" Ianto roared, "Yet you decide to interrogate me? A little bit of pain intimidation is it Sir?"

Jack's face paled as he had completely forgotten the Weevil's grip on that shoulder less than a day ago.

"I am not your bloody fuck toy, I am not your part time shag, I am not your bitch and I am certainly not your sub!" Ianto was on a roll and Owen stepped into the room to watch the show.

"Ianto, I didn't mean …"

"What did you mean then" Ianto's hands went to his hips as he glared down at him, "Tell me. Please, I would love to know. No. Let me guess."

Ianto laughed bitterly as he turned to address the room.

"Hi, my name is Ianto Jones. Torchwood Agent, secretive bastard and hider of myself" he swung back to Jack, "Right? We are back to Lisa again. Right? Come on. Where's the Webley, let's do this right."

Ianto turned to leave and found Owen blocking his way, "Calm down mate, the kids will hear."

"The kids" Ianto whispered as he slumped, "Ah shit. Owen …why does life have to suck?"

"I don't know mate" Owen sighed, "Come on, let's go sit down. Yeah? You're having a wee moment and you are entitled to one, we all are. Come on. Breathe for me."

Jack got to his feet and looked at Ianto apologetically, knowing it was best to stay quiet for a while.

"I told her my trump card." Ianto slumped, "The one I thought I would take to my grave. My last secret. I know it would get her attention, give her reason to come for us if we need her too. Save those kids."

"Ianto" Jack sat and reached for his hand, "Don't' tell us. Whatever it is, it's OK."

"You don't understand Jack" Ianto sighed sadly as he pulled the hand away.

"Try me" Jack asked, "What am I gonna do. Poke you?"

"I told her that I am an ex-companion too" Ianto finally said so quietly that Jack almost didn't hear. "He came for me before the Warf. Took me on a wee jaunt and made me understand that I needed to meet you. He never said a thing about Lisa, I don't know if he ever finds out. He did say that one day I would curse him. I thought it was on the day of the invasion. Then I thought it was when she died, as I sat in the cells cursing god. But no. This is it. The promised thing that would almost break me. Now. Here. This."

Jack leaned back and stared at Ianto like he was an exotic creature and Ianto rose from the chair, pulling his hand back angrily.

"Now if you will excuse me, I need to resume the inventory" he limped from the room and Rhiannon looked at Gwen.

"What the hell is he talking about?"

Gwen had to admit she had no idea.


	4. 8.30am

"I didn't mean it like that" Jack said softly as he watched Ianto writing calmly on the pad.

"I did."

"Ianto, please, look at me" Jack asked and Ianto's eyes rose to regard him with open animosity. "Will we ever get past her?"

"I don't know sir, you tell me" Ianto said as he looked back in the crate, "Can we?"

"Oh Gods" Jack sighed, "I have given you a million reasons to walk away from this, from us. I don't know why I can't….stop. This Captain thing had me all …"

Jack was frustrated and his hands were shaking as he tried to explain.

"You played the part for so long that it's hard to break character" Ianto snorted, "Believe it or not, I do know what you mean."

Jack nodded as he looked at Ianto with remorse.

"Look, Jack." Ianto finally looked him in the eye, "You are angry, judgmental, jealous, bloody pig headed….need I go on? Yes, you do give me a million reasons to walk away from this relationship that seems so fucking doomed from the beginning."

Jack nodded as he looked at his clasped hands.

"But…"

Jack looked up.

"You also gave me one good reason to stay" Ianto whispered softly, "You gave me your heart, as damaged as it is."

"I don't' want this …this…Lisa. I don't want Lisa in the room all the fucking time" Jack rubbed at his face with his hands, "I hate myself every time I lower myself to throw her at you like a bloody spurned wife."

"You've not loved for a long time and I know I got under your skin" Ianto admitted, "You surprised me too. So fast, violent and ….deep. God. Jack, I loved you from that first night in your bunker. So ashamed as she lay a level down waiting for me to come give her pain relief and me lingering for one more kiss from you."

"Is that the last secret?" Jack asked.

Ianto snorted as he stood, then canted his head. "The last one between us here. The others…are for other days."

Jack snorted as he agreed, his own secrets too many to even count anymore.

"I guess we will always have moments of pure confusion" Jack finally conceded, "The timelines crossing and stuff."

"Yeah" Ianto sighed as he limped towards the door, then he swing back.

"Spoilers Sweetie!"

Jack's head shot up and he started to laugh as Ianto left his sight.

Now THAT was a good secret.

Somehow, Jack knew it was one Ianto had given freely despite the enormity of it.

Jack leaned back and gave a few minute of his time to the memory of Doctor River Song. One hell of a gal!

Ianto entered the kitchen and found his sister sitting at the table anxiously.

"Sorry about that" he said as he sat opposite her, "Drives me mad that man. Funny, I never even looked at a man before never thought in a million …well. It's not men. It's only him. Just him."

She nodded as she took it in and then looked at Gwen who was squirming in her own chair, "And you didn't know?"

"Our relationship was kind of on the down-low" Ianto grimaced, "He is me boss ya know. He was worried the others would be meaner to me than normal. I …I fucked up and almost cost us all…our jobs, like. They sort of hated me for a while. Jack and I took a break, one I was afraid would be a forever kind of break but he came back to me after a hard case, wanting comfort and…he forgave me."

"And you forgave me" Jack said from the doorway as he entered, "I was a douche bag about it, I misunderstood some things at the time too."

"Well, we are different people now" Ianto assured his sister as Jack slid into the chair beside Ianto and reached for his hand, "This guy? He's…hell, I like to think I'm the man mama wanted me to be because if him."

"This guy" Jack said pointing at Ianto as he addressed him, "This is the guy I know you to be. Strong, self assured, knowledgeable and ready to fight to protect what is important. Sorry I make you feel small sometimes, you aren't. You are important to me."

Ianto's blush was fierce as he looked at the table and his sister snorted softly.

"Right then. You accepted Johnny. I know you threatened to kneecap him but you were a little hoodlum at the time…so. I will accept this." She smiled, "After all. He is kinda cute."

"What do you mean 'kinda'?" Jack asked with mock horror as they laughed softly at themselves.

"I did what I had to, and I will do it again" Ianto said to finish the conversation from earlier, "For this weird family we have here Cariad, I will use any and every means open to me to ensure their survival."

"And how can I deny that it is one of the things I love about you Yan?" Jack said softly, his face softening. "There is nothing to forgive except my flying off the handle as usual when I can't control a situation."

"I forgave you didn't I?" Ianto rose and walked to the sink, "After all…you are kinda cute apparently to some people."

Jack folded his arms and huffed as more laughter ensued.


	5. 8.30am - Tosh and Owen

"This too shall pass" Owen said as he held her, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed. "It may feel like a kidney stone but, yeah, it will pass"

Her sobs exploded with intermittent laugher as she relaxed into his hug.

"We'll get through this toots" he soothed, "Weird huh? Saving the world on a regular basis and it's nothing more than a flick of switches, tapping of keys, a cup of Ianto's coffe and a lewd remark from the Captain. When it's just us it suddenly feels so….so…."

"Real" she whispered.

"Yeah. Those poor bloody kids" Owen sighed, "One of the things I hated most about being a doctor was next of kin. Looking them in the eye and saying sorry."

"We are going to get out of this, right?" she leaned back to look at him and he saw her face was devoid of makeup, clean and pink. He reached out to brush a tear away with his thumb.

"Toshi girl" he said softly, "Shit. I always thought you were too good for me. Fit, clever and so fucking sexy in those librarian outfits."

Her eyes widened and she giggled softly, as she looked down.

"You know what?" Owen said with a sigh, "We remind me of the Scooby Doo Shpw. Remember that? Frank, Daphne, Scooby, Shaggy and Velma? You're Velma. Underrated but so bloody smoking. Gwen is Daphne, all tits so there is no blood left to get to the brain."

"And you?" she sniffed, "Frank or Shaggy?"

"Nah, Scooby. Definitely Scooby" he whispered conspiratorially, "I want those Scooby snacks."

As he had hoped, she laughed openly and her spirit lifted a little, letting him hug her again as he felt her body shake.

"Look sweets, let's get this done. If we have it up and running by lunchtime Frank …errr I mean Jack can have a look and declare our security mint" Owen teased and she started to giggle again.

"So…Ianto is shaggy?"

"Ianto is …sometimes I think he plays Shaggy well but at the end of the day I sometimes think he is the writer. Always knows the end. Others, the mystery bus. Getting us everywhere on time with what we need. He's a bloody enigma that one!"

She snorted as she agreed and she leaned over the remote control car they had been working on.

"Right, the lens is the left leadlight. Anyone picks this up they won't be able to see it" she said as she showed the little bubble that looked like a contact lens, "I can't believe Ianto thought to grab them. Let's set this one up just outside the gates. I don't want to lose it. The next we will drive further, then the next until we lose radio contact. Then we know the perimeters. I suggest we sacrifice these five to that end if we have to, then we push the others in a radius of just before loss of contact so they can be drawn back."

"Sounds like a plan, a good one Velma" Owen said and she grinned.

"I had the outfit" she said and he looked up with a look of confusion.

A Velma suit. Down to the knee boots. Wore it one Halloween. The turtleneck was murder" she giggled and he laughed as he leaned back.

"Dracula kinda guy, all that blood!" he said in a silly voce as they giggled like kids. "I reckon Ianto would have been Jeeves."

"No, I saw him once." She said softly, "He was…gods. I didn't know him until he spoke, told the guy hassling me to fuck off. He was a woman. A blonde wig and everything. I didn't recognise him until that familiar voice told the guy he was about to cut his dick off if he touched my knee again."

"Fuck" Owen said with incredulity, "Did he look …real?"

"He was gorgeous" she smiled, "Jack was plastered to him shortly after. I knew then they were more than just an office fling."

"What was Jack?" Owen asked, "Not a bloody girl too?"

"No" she snorted with her hand to her mouth, "Elvis."

Owen's mouth fell open as he considered the inside joke about Elvis and the conspiracy theories that he didn't die. "Cheeky bastard!"

"The Karaoke was ….interesting' she hiccupped, "Boy they can sing."

"Can I watch?" Stephen asked from the doorway and Owen waved him in.

"Not started upstairs yet?" Tosh asked.

"Uncle Jack and Ianto are having some sort of argument and Mum is all flighty. Rhiannon and Gwen are having another cuppa first." He said and Tosh frowned.

"A fight?"

"More like…one of those adult hissing things where both look like they want to stab the other one's eyes out but then they kiss. Mum watches that shit on TV all the time" he sighed.

"Ah. A lover's tiff, we call than boyo" Owen snorted, "Didn't know they were to that level. You know, I think a well pissed Uncle would be a scary thing."

"Have you met my mum?" the boy asked, "She keeps a gun in her kicker drawer."

Owen laughed as he started the car and then he looked at the boy who reminded him of Jack in a little way. "Wanna do one too?"

Stephen lit up.

"This green one," Owen pointed, "I drive mine and stop. When I do, you stop yours and place it where Tosh says. We can watch through mine where yours is going. Then mine will go a bit further, OK?"

Stephen grinned and Owen saw a familiar shit eating grin that had him griming back. "You look like your uncle Jack."

"He's my granddad" Stephen said as he fiddled with the controls to get a feel of the car, "Mum thinks I don't know but when she's pissed she calls him dad. He's magic or something."

"And I can tell you, we are very lucky to have him" Tosh said as she leaned into his face and smiled, "He saved my life, has done many times with his special magic. Don't worry, he will always use his magic to save us."

Stephen grinned as he nodded, "I know. He's cool."

"Yeah, but don't tell him I agreed with you, I'll deny it sprog!" Owen said and they laughed softly as laugher rang out from the kitchen as well.

The house seemed to feel a bit warmer all of a sudden.

Owen went to the cat flap and reached through to place his car in the plastic tent, then Stephen's.

"Wait!" Stephen said, "Let's get the others."

"He's right" Tosh sighed, "We all need to see what is out there."

Stephen got up and ran for the kitchen.


	6. 8.50am

"We're gonna do the cars!" Stephen said as he ran into the kitchen and everyone rose to follow him.

The Flat Screen TV was hooked into the laptop Tosh was working from and they all watched as the cars took off through the tent and into the outside world with the plastic snapping shut behind them. The split screen showed the images relayed from both cars, the left lens on one car and right lens on the other making things look dual, then they got to the gates and the cars shot under them with ease as Owen grunted with satisfaction.

"Right kiddo, see that hydrangea bush there?" Owen turned his car to show the bush and Stephen's green car was also visible, "Try to back in under it so the green becomes part of the leaves, just watch our screen as well to make sure we have a clear shot of anyone approaching, yeah?"

Stephen carefully manoeuvred the car and they all knew Owen would have done it faster but giving the boy the task was helping the kid feel like part of the team. He could also see what it meant to Jack, his pride evident as he patted Stephen's shoulder gently as he offered advice.

After all, what else were they going to do with their time, not like they were in a hurry.

"Perfect soldier!" Jack crowed, "Look at that. That's superior genes, that is. Your grandmother was one of the best operatives I ever worked with. She would have been so proud!"

Alice had never heard her father talk about her mother and she was surprised at the pride, knowing how her mother had treated him.

"Right, I like this angle here" Owen spoke and drew her back to the present, "This good for you Toshi?"

"Yes, that gives us a clear view in both directions, anyone approaching the entry gates can be seen" as she spoke she swung on the chair to another keyboard and booted up the screen. It started running binary.

"Air?" Ianto asked as he moved to stare at this, his gaze almost one of unfocused thought but Jack could see the pupils dilate slightly.

"Ianto? Are you reading that love?"

"Mmmmm" Ianto didn't blink, the noise the only indicator he had even heard him as the streams ran, then he blinked and turned away. "Quality is good. Low emissions only. Not safe to go outside for a while but not strong enough to get in here. Safety protocols still a good idea though."

"It is possible that we've not had all the fallout settle yet" Tosh said as she started to look at the finished data, "Another 48 hours maybe, then we wait for it to wash away with the rain."

"Into the water table" Gwen snorted.

"So we better fill containers now!" Ianto snapped, fed up with her negative slant in front of the kids, "Maybe you should go have a shower while we are not conserving water, wouldn't want to smell."

Owen coughed as he watched 'Daphne' stare and shut her mouth as she got shut down and then looked at his smoking hot 'Velma' who was also smiling to herself.

"Third and fourth cars outgoing" Owen said as he and Stephen shot them out the gates, past the first tow and into the lanes. "Go Left Stevie, I'll go right. See ya on the flip side!"

Stephen grinned as Owen spoke to him like an adult and didn't double check his efforts, trusting him to get it right. Alice watched Jack gently guide Stephen with a soft pat on his shoulder to silently tell him he was right and Stephen slid the car under a rubbish bin in the town square.

"Well done" Jack said softly, "Perfect view back up our road. Also, it shows whoever enters the square."

Owen stopped his near the main road and a soft pinging told him it was almost to the limit of reception.

"Leave it there" Ianto said as he examined the screen, "A little more left. There. Good."

"We have more cars" Owen said.

"Put one just outside" Ianto suggested, "If we get visitors we may need it to look around."

"Good idea" Owned said with glee, "Didn't think of that."

"That's why they pay me the big bucks" Ianto quipped and Jack looked over at him with a look of affection that was not lost by anyone else, including Ianto whose blush began.

"Can we do the pillaging thing now?" David asked and they all turned to look at him, his look one of determination.

"You know what? I'll come too" Ianto said, "Cariad? If we start each end, one person per side and just go room by room, it can be done by lunch? Maybe sooner as some were unoccupied."

"Agreed" Jack smiled "Ianto, you and David take one end, a side each, me and Gwen will do the same this other end."

"And what is everyone else doing?" Gwen asked with her arms folded.

"Tosh is checking our security, Owen is helping as well as checking the ash levels. Stephen is staying here to watch and learn in case there is an emergency and we need to move a car" Jack said with growing anger, "Alice is clearing breakfast, preparing snacks for morning tea as well as the inventory of food Rhiannon is doing with her. Would you rather cook? Only, I seem to remember that…you can't!"

"What about me" Rhys asked as he watched Gwen bristle.

"Micha and you can feed the animals and check their room please. I was thinking of some climbing frames or toys or something, a day bed. A nice play area for the kids in there as well as the animals." Ianto said warmly, "You will be able to move the mattresses and stuff for her."

Rhys' face lit up as he realised he was going to play with the animals and little girl building a play house. As he offered his hand to the little girl Gwen huffed softly, then looked at Jack.

"I can help with the food" she griped.

"Ah for fucksake!" Alice snapped sounding like her father, "Fuck off and do that then, just remember that Rhiannon is in charge and her bite is worse than her bark, like Ianto's. I will help clear upstairs."

Gwen didn't know which was worse.

Jack's glare of thunder as he shook his head at her…

Or Rhys' look of embarrassment.


	7. 10.20am

Ianto had gone into a room that had been occupied by a pair of honeymooners, apparent in the lingerie left behind and the champagne in the bucket of water that had once been ice.

Ianto find himself sitting on the edge of the bed staring at the unopened bottle like it was another bomb.

Jack was dropping a handful of toiletries into a bin, one of several dotted along the corridor and he looked at David, "Hey, where's your uncle?"

David pointed at a room and slid into his next conquest, the large black silk robe he had found sliding after him like a magician's cape.

"Ianto?" Jack called as he entered the room, "Ready for morning tea soon? The kids…."

Ianto was sitting there weeping, not making a sound as a tear ran down his cheek.

"Oh baby" Jack sat and pulled him into a hug, feeling his body shake as Ianto took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Sorry" Ianto whispered and Jack shushed him as he drew back to stroke his face, then leaned in and kissed him gently.

"It's OK Yan" he whispered, "I know. This is so fucking hard, so wrong and the urge to scream 'not fair' is overwhelming."

"He's not coming" Ianto said hollowly, "He said…he said when the time comes I will know. He won't be here because of some flux or something. Weirdly, he said something about a date with his wife that would last for years? He told me when it happened that it would be devastating. The sorrow on his face, almost like he was ashamed. Now I know how he felt."

Jack didn't have an answer to fit, so he held him rightly as he thanked whoever was keeping them together, safe.

"Come on" Ianto said after a while, rising and rubbing at his face "I am hungry as a matter of fact."

"Uncle?" David's head came around the door, "Mama's screeching for us to come get a snack."

"Oh dear, screeching" Ianto said with an eye roll and Jack laughed as he rose.

"I know you said he looks like Johnny's side but damned if that wasn't pure Jones snark just then!" Jack said as he reached up and placed a red mark on the door to say it was cleared. Ianto's look of gratitude as Jack pulled it shut enough for him to know they didn't need anything from that room that was worth Ianto's' grief at thinking of the young couple probably dead and gone before they even had a change to drink their champagne.

They walked downstairs to the dining room finding Gwen preening as she placed bread rolls with chicken and salad in them on the table, then adjusting the plate. Ianto looked at the spread and knew it had all the hallmarks of his sister but he sat and said nothing, wondering how far Gwen would take the charade.

Rhiannon was last to appear with two pitchers of juice, Alice following with two as well and they both glared at Gwen who had decided to sit at the head of the table. Alice huffed and turned back, returning with to plain water.

Ianto watched Jack walk around to sit next to him, totally ignoring Gwen as he leaned in for a roll and told Rhiannon it all looked yummy.

"Well, we thought we would set it up as an early lunch too. That way we can top it up and have the rest of the morning for the inventory" Gwen said happily and Rhiannon's head slowly turned to look at her.

Gods, she had Ianto's stare of doom.

"The juice is from the powdered stuff. We'll make more up so we have enough for a few days I think" Gwen continued to speak, not noticing the silence as Rhiannon leaned back to regard her.

"If we do that, we will have no jugs for fresh water" Rhiannon said slowly, "That's why we did four and two just water."

"Oh" Gwen blinked, then found another subject, "So, I think we should…."

"Shut up" Ianto said flatly. Finally sick of it.

"What?" she gasped.

"Gwen" Rhys' voice was low and the growl ominous, "I think it's time to stop."

"I was going to say" Ianto said after he took a breath, "if we fill the bathtubs in the unused rooms while the water table is still uncontaminated, we will have water to flush and stuff still. Just our drinking water to be sealed in bottles and stuff."

"Shit" Alice said with nod of her head, "Brilliant! Also, we all have a hot bath then wash our clothes from the last couple of days in the water before we let it out. We can dry them in the cattery. Rhys can rig up some clothes lines, right?"

Rhys nodded as he chewed and gave a thumbs up as he remembered some thin rope that might work and he knew Micha would be a good assistant.

"Good idea love" Jack nodded "Right. After this we are all going back to work. Lunch will be this style here and only one cooked meal a day to conserve the gas. Tonight we all bath, wash or clothes and hang them out before bedding down, right?"

They rose from the table and Stephen looked to Owen who grinned and motioned for him to go, the remote control helicopter waiting just outside the plastic tent screaming for his attention and Owen wanted a look over the town in the hopes of seeing those bastards who had visited yesterday.

As they all started to leave Gwen stepped in close to Ianto, "Look. We all have to be civil and get along here."

"No we don't" Ianto replied stonily, "You might but I'm shagging the boss, remember? My dick trumps your tits so stop acting like they're your get out of jail free card Gwen."

Jack had heard and struggled to keep his face neutral as Gwen huffed and flounced off. Ianto walked over and raised an eyebrow in question.

"All good Tiger?" Jack said softly, "Let's go fill some tubs."

Ianto went first, letting his hips sway as they climbed the stairs as a reward for Jack who appreciated it all the way up. Jack glanced back down to see Rhys starting after Gwen with a look of thunder.

Well, she was his mate. Time he sorted her out.

Jack had more important things to look at…er…do.

Heh heh.

Tiggy tiger.

Here I come.


	8. 11.10am  – Rhys and Gwen

 

"What the hell are you doing!" Rhys demanded as he grabbed for her arm, pulling her into an office.

"Rhys, this is my team, my…."

"You listen to me missus" he snarled as he tightened his grip, "I'm alive because that man thought of how to get hold of me in the middle of this shitstorm we're stuck in. That team out there don't seem to need you…or me. Don't you get it? Fit in. Be a friend. A good teammate. If we don't have a place here, what happens if they think it's better to split up?"

"They wouldn't" she scoffed.

"Yeah?" he asked, "Wasn't it you telling me that Jack let that little girl go to the fucking fairies?"

Gwen paled as he let her go and stormed off to find the wee girl, at least she acts her bloody age.

Micha lit up when she saw him and reached for him, cuddling him around the waist before running off the catch a rabbit and he felt a rush of affection. What lovely little girl.

He had wondered about him and Gwen.

A wedding, kids, the whole enchilada.

But now….

Christ. Did he even know her at all?

Micha walked over with a fat little rabbit, her face one of confusion.

"Uncle Rhys?" she asked and his heart warmed even more as he knelt.

"What is it princess?"

"This rabbit was hiding and he's all...breathing funny, look" she thrust the rabbit at him and he felt himself grow cold as he looked down at its little tongue hanging between its teeth.

Scooping it from her, he grabbed a blanket and rolled it up, hastening from the room to find Owen.

"Oi, Owen. This rabbit is acting funny" he said and Owen rushed to look.

"Shit, let's take it next door to the medical bay" Owen said as he took the rabbit in his arms and they rushed through.

"Rhia" Rhys stepped into the kitchen, not surprised to find Gwen sitting at the table eating , "You need to occupy Micha. Rabbit isn't well and she's gonna get nosey."

"Radiation?" Alice asked.

"Don't' know" Rhys shook his head, "That's what we are worried about, don't want her knowing if we have to…."

"Shit" Rhiannon went to fetch her daughter, promising she could help make dessert for the evening meal.

Owen as waving the PDA over the rabbit and Rhys was aware of Gwen tapping him urgently on the arm so he turned to face her.

"Did you touch it?" she hissed, "Go shower, right now!"

"What?"

"If it has radiation poisoning it will have rubbed off" she snarled, "Go scrub yourself down and get clean clothes on and for fucksake, don't go near them again, not until they are either tested or put down."

Rhys gaped at her and he pulled his arm back, "You know what? I don't fucking know you at all do I. What about Micha?"

"What about her" Gwen frowned, "She's her mother's problem."

Rhys shook his head and deliberately took a step away from her, making the statement that he was done talking so she snorted and stormed off.

Rhiannon looked up as she entered the kitchen, "Want a cuppa?"

"Yes" Gwen huffed and Rhiannon was about to remind her that please and thank you go a long way but Micha spoke first.

"What's happening?"

"They are scanning it" Gwen said as she sat next to Micha, "If it is sick we will put it down, it's probably dying already."

Rhiannon took a sharp intake of breath as she headed towards the bitch but Gwen wasn't finished.

"If the bunny was sick from the fallout, you might get sick too. We will quarantine you and you will need…."

The whack was loud, solid and had good follow through just like her brother had taught her and Gwen flew from the chair to hit the bench top.

"You fucking bitch" Rhiannon roared, "Leave my baby alone you heartless, soulless cow or I will put YOU down."

Gwen struggled to her hands and knees, then lunged at Rhiannon who was ready and she simply let her go, popping her hip and grabbing her hair to swing her into the table, shunting it back as Micha screamed with fear.

"You wanna go lady, I can kick your arse all fucking day" Rhiannon screamed and Tosh ran in with Alice, their shock stopping them both as they watched Gwen struggle to her hands and knees again.

"You'd be best to stay down bitch" Rhiannon snarled, "I told you, you mess with me or mine and you get the fucking Jones treatment."

Gwen tried to get her feet under her but they slid on the now wet floor as the pitcher of juice knocked over when the table moved continued to drip on and around her from the table top.

"You bitch" Gwen said looking up with a sneer, only to have a fist connect.

Gwen stayed down.


	9. 11.10am  – Jack and Ianto

 

Ianto was leaning over the bathtub turning the cold tap as Jack leaned against the doorframe.

"You want to ask" Ianto looked back at him, "I know you do."

"Yes, but I won't" Jack assured him as he closed the lid of the toilet to sit on, "I know you can't tell me things"

"He's another face" Ianto said as he sat on the edge of the bath, "Like…one not in the Doctor Hand Book, like."

Jack frowned.

"I told him he looked like someone I know and he got all snotty about it, like really like…a grandpa growling" Ianto smiled as he remembered, "Then I pointed out that one of his faces looked like another human I know and he got all blustery."

Jack leaned forward interested now.

"Do you remember Worzel Gummige?" Ianto asked, "That fellow Baker played the part. I showed him an image and pointed out that he had a face that looked just like that actor. Then I told him about Frobisher. You know, that low level government official that will likely sit in a seat of power one day. He looked just like him."

"Really?" Jack was surprised as he leaned back against the cistern, motioning him to continue.

"I thought about it and asked him about his faces. He told me…he said that he can't choose them. They are their own things. He said that it's like the vortex goes through his DNA and randomly selects something by itself." Ianto grinned, "I told him it sounded like natural selection to me. I then said that I could argue the point that since there are no humans in his time, that maybe Timelords ARE the humans. That we evolve into his lot."

"How did that go down?"

"Led Balloon!" Ianto laughed, "He couldn't wait to take me home and dump me off, calling me a rude person…then he looked at me and leaned in and said 'One day you will remember this conversation to someone else and he will find it terribly amusing. When you do, tell him he is still a terrible flirt', then he took off."

Jack grinned as Ianto shook his head, "Of course he meant you. So I know he's from the future of our timeline. He knows I wind up here, knows all about you so it is since your wee …accident. He seemed…tired."

"He was almost 900 years old last time I saw him" Jack said softly as he watched Ianto turn off the tap, "Goddess knows how far he can go."

"Hard to know" Ianto shrugged, "He told me that he stole the Tardis a long time ago, with his granddaughter. He could go for thousands of years, I reckon."

"Before Lisa?"

"Before Canary Warf, before Torchwood even" Ianto snorted, "Why do you think they recruited me? I was seen. I told them I didn't remember what happened. They tried to break me and then decided he had wiped my memory. They tried hard. Real hard. Our father had died and Rhiannon thinks I just took off to leave her with all the problems and debt. Truth was, the bastard up and …well…sort of stole me. He has a habit of that I hear. Then he abandoned me when he was bored."

Jack nodded as he reminisced, "Yeah."

"I was going to tell you" Ianto assured him, "I just…when the time was right. It just never was. Now this and it all comes back like a bad smell. This is when he will not come. Turns out he was at Canary Warf, we just missed each other in the chaos."

"He said to me something about good men going to war" Ianto frowned, "Told me…this was my forge. I was being crafted and had to understand that one day my armour would be unbreakable."

"He liked to say stuff like that, sometimes I think he made stuff up and then …bang…and he would have this look of satisfaction" Jack sighed, "You sure your ankle is OK with all this rushing about."

"I'll live" Ianto said dryly, then smiled to lessen the words.

"I think …what was that?" they both stopped talking and Ianto's face paled as he rose.

"Rhiannon, Jesus she is tearing someone a new one" Ianto rushed down the stairs, ignoring the bite from the ankle and into the kitchen to find his niece squashed in a corner as Rhiannon loomed over Gwen.

"You'd be best to stay down bitch" Rhiannon snarled, "I told you, you mess with me or mine and you get the fucking Jones treatment."

Gwen tried to get her feet under her but they slid out from under her as her hair dripped in her face.

"You bitch" Gwen said looking up with a sneer, only to have a fist connect.

Gwen stayed down.

Ianto turned to face Jack with silent question and Jack nodded.

"Rhys, get your woman into another room, I think she needs a time out." Jack said softly, "Rhiannon, sit down love."

Rhiannon shakily pulled a chair out and sat, rubbing her hands together as she looked at Ianto.

"Tell me one thing" Ianto said firmly and she nodded, "Rhiannon. Just tell me truthfully….."

Ianto leaned in close and spoke quietly so only those in the room could here, "…how fucking good did that feel?"

She grinned at her lovely little brother as he huffed with fake annoyance.


	10. 12.05

Lunch was almost ready and Gwen had moved silently into the kitchen to help.

The rabbit was not dying after all. It was in labour. In the middle of everything Owen was acting as a midwife, welcoming some little rabbits into the world with the children engrossed.

"Once upon a time Rabbits were called Coneys. Their young were called Rabbits. Coney got dropped and Rabbit remained." Owen was talking softly as little pink things wriggled, "Now we call the babies kits or kittens."

Ianto had mopped up the spilled juice and was quietly peeling the oranges to add to the impromptu fruit salad he was making as the bananas had bounced a fair bit. And the peaches were gong soft too. Gwen sat and looked at him morosely so he pushed some oranges and the mandarins he hadn't started yet at her. He then plucked the grapes, singling out those who hadn't started to wrinkle.

Rhiannon slammed down a fresh pitcher of orange juice and glared at her but also kept the peace as the children filtered in looking for lunch.

Finally the last straggler came in, Owen with a PDA in his hand. He reminded Ianto of one of the kids, pulling out the chair without looking up from the screen. He grunted as Ianto placed a plate in front of him and then glanced at it making happy noises as he noted the chocolate biscuit by his cup.

Lunch was mostly in silence apart from Tosh asking for more fruit salad, commenting that it was nice and sweet.

"Wasn't going to last another day" Ianto shrugged, "I liked the thought of something healthier than bacon again. Mind, the chicken is nice."

"We gonna eat them?" Micha asked with sudden horror.

"No darling, there were lots frozen downstairs" Ianto told her, "We have to cook them up because they are thawing out. We can keep the cooked stuff in the fridge for a few more days then but chicken has a limited time for eating. We can't keep the big freezer going much longer because it uses too much fuel with the generator. We need the generator for the lights and stuff more than the freezer sweetheart."

"Oh" she chewed as David looked over at his Uncle.

"Uncle?" David asked softly, "What happens when we run out?"

"We have tinned food, dried food…lots. Weeks" Ianto assured them, reaching out to pat his shoulder, "Besides. We will all get out of here before the food even gets low. OK?"

They all nodded their assurances to the children, who looked relieved reaching for more food. They had been holding back even thought they were hungry because they were scared the animals would be sacrificed.

Poor kids.

Ianto smiled, finally breaking the foul mood of the table and Jack relaxed as the kids all started talking about what they wanted to do for the afternoon.

"What about you Uncle Ianto?" Stephen asked and Ianto looked up with surprise at the title, then grinned.

"My ankle is throbbing a bit" he said once his mouth was empty, "I am going up to rest it before Uncle Owen there comes after me with a big stick. Go over the numbers and see how the stats look while I'm laying down on the bed. Maybe look at how the others are doing."

"Others?" Micha asked.

"Other people waiting like us" Ianto explained, "There are other pockets of people, safe and bored too. All waiting for the air to clear enough for rescue. Lots of them. We are not alone, just…separated. I can track them on the satellites, their heat signatures and some have CBs. One day this will all be just a weird memory and things will be OK again darling."

"Aunty Gwen said people were dying like Daddy did but different, longer and horribly" Micha said with wide eyes and Rhys muttered 'for fuksake' under his breath as he glared at his partner, "Is it real?"

"Some people did, like your Daddy. Some people." Jack answered as Ianto swallowed and coughed, his chicken sandwich stuck, "Lots. We are all sad and when this is over there will be a special party for them to let them know we love them and miss them, OK?"

The kids all nodded as they agreed it was a good idea and Ianto reached out to take Rhiannon's hand as she took a deep breath.

Gwen finally remembered that Rhiannon had lost her husband the day before and her face started to fill with colour as she looked down at her plate, the way she had spoke to the little girl when she was clearly grieving had been terrible.

Rhys glared at her as he felt it too, his shame was in being with her when she had behaved like that.

"Well I am going to play with the trolleys now they are empty" Rhys said to Owen in a loud voice, "I bet I can push one faster than you along the back hallways."

As he had hoped, the children perked up and started to argue about the best way to do it, the decision that Stephen would be Owen's 'driver' and David would be Rhys' with Micha as the official timekeeper.

As they all took off Gwen started to help clear and she cleared her throat as she looked Rhiannon in the eye.

"I'm sorry" she said as Rhiannon turned to face her, "I…so much has happened in such a short time and…I have Rhys. I cried last night, snuggled with him thinking of our parents gone and…my god. Your children had lost their dad and they are still babies. The rest of their lives they will remember this. What a bitch I am. I am …I'm sorry. I forgot. I …you lost your husband. Here I am with my fella, cuddled, loved and comforted and …I don't need my boyfriend to remind me what a single minded bitch I can be and I really am sorry."

"His name was Johnny" Rhiannon said and her breath hitched as she turned back to the sink.

"Ianto told me that he loved you very much" Gwen said diplomatically, "Ianto said you had a nice home and Johnny did his best by you and the kids."

Rhiannon nodded and accepted the apology.

After all Ianto had already told her that Gwen was a bitch.

Can't change that I suppose.


	11. 1.15pm

Jack found Ianto sitting on the bed, as earlier stated.

The only difference from his statement of what he would be doing was that he was asleep.

Jack smiled as he gently removed the laptop, closing it as he placed it by the bed and pulled up the crocheted rug over Ianto's legs. The cast was already dirty. Scuffed and Jack could see a little piece chipped off. Barely a day old and it was looking like a cast ready to be removed at the end of a month long stint.

Ianto's head lolled and he took a deep breath, his forehead furrowing so Jack leaned in and kissed him then he leaned back as Ianto sighed softly and smiled as he settled.

The kids were yahooing faintly downstairs so Jack rose and walked down to watch. Work could wait, after all, they weren't going anywhere. Right?

Then a sensor pinged and Tosh called Owen over, Jack following as Rhys distracted the kids with the animals and the three agents leaned in for a look.

"Can't see, here" Owen muttered as he gently moved the car and they could see what was setting it off.

"Jack, Deer?"

"Yes Owen love?" Jack quipped, then pointed at the screen, "Yeah. See the patches of fur off their hides?"

"Fallout" Tosh said sadly, "Poor things are dying and don't even know it."

"What direction did they come from?" Jack demanded, "If they walked though fallout maybe we can…"

A loud rumbling noise followed by screaming had them all hurtling out in the foyer to see Ianto lying at the bottom of the stairs rolling into his side as Stephen screamed.

"Oh god, that bloody cast" Jack cried as he rushed towards him, "He fell down the fucking stairs!"

"My turn!" Stephen demanded and David argues that he wanted next turn.

"It's a…it's a…" Ianto rolled onto his back and roared with laughter, trying to get his breath back, "It's a two sided staircase, why not take either side?"

"I want your box!" David was pulling at him and Ianto rolled to his hands and knees, revealing the cardboard he had been sitting on.

"Right, remember to lean back." Ianto instructed as he grabbed a box off Stephen and limped back up the stairs, going to the one on the other side of the grand foyer.

He ripped the box flat and then sat down, holding a flap as he shuffled it off, then slid down with more thumping as he shot down the stairs yelling like a banshee.

"YES!" Stephen seized the box Ianto had now broken in and ran up the race David on the other side, the kids all excited and laughing as Ianto rolled to the middle of the floor and star-fished.

"I think I broke my arse" Ianto said to no one in particular, "Always wanted to try that though. That and skydiving. Seems that is out of the question for now but I can tick one off."

"Really" Jack grinned done at him, "You Jones Ianto Jones, are a maniac."

"Oh, so you won't be taking a turn then sir?" Ianto asked with wide eyes and Jack grinned as Owen's yodel split the air.

Ianto twisted to watch as the medic careened down the stairs with a look of total childish glee, slamming into the wall at the bottom as the marble helped him slide across the floor as well.

Owen laughed as he flopped on the floor and Rhys grabbed the cardboard to go up with Micha.

"You OK?" Jack asked softly as he helped Ianto to his feet.

"We lost contact with the northern cell" Ianto said softly, "There were almost thirty of them."

"Oh shit" Jack sighed, "What does the Valiant say?"

"They were hoping it was a power issue but satellite photos show fire" Ianto whispered as he glanced at Tosh who was standing nearby, "Looks like another faction tried to overthrow them."

"Shit" Jack repeated, "We knew this might happen. Those desperate enough will start to go crazy. Attack and pillage."

"Yeah" Ianto stepped back and glanced at Tosh again as she stepped closer, "And they will head this way, right?"

"If they keep going in the same direction they have been…yeah. They will reach here sooner or later." She said softy as she joined the conversation.

"ETA?" Ianto addressed her directly.

"We have two days, maybe three" she confirmed and Ianto walked off muttering about supplies as Jack stared after him.

Two days?

The air would not be clear enough by then to move.

Even as the marauders were killing themselves slowly by moving freely in the fallout, the air remained deadly.

In a week those men would be dead, like those after the livestock yesterday.

But it was a week too long if they would be here in two days.

Jack followed Ianto, knowing he was probably already chewing on a plan.

Liking it or not was another thing.


	12. 5.30pm

Jack felt he had given Ianto enough time to chew over whatever he was thinking and he found him sitting in a library staring into space with paper scattered about.

"Hey" Jack said softly, kneeling by his chair, "Tea is almost ready. Tosh and Owen took the spare car out for a spin but found ….what."

"Spare car" Ianto said softly, "That's what I've been doing."

Jack took a chair and pulled it close so he could sit with his hands on Ianto's knees. He then waited, knowing Ianto had thought of a plan, had chewed on it and was ready to explain.

"It will take most of tomorrow to do and …I don't know if we have time" Ianto sighed, "Not really."

"Let's walk it through" Jack said softly, "I know you are working it out in your head."

"OK. We spend two hours packing. We pack our electronics, personals and food for the animals…we can't leave them." Ianto said, "Then we eat some more of the food we can't take and we rest. Gain the energy we will need tomorrow."

"OK babe, so let's say we all get up at 7am and move forward" Jack frowned.

"OK. 7am, breakfast and explaining to everyone else. 8am, we help everyone else pack and prepare, talk with Owen and Rhys who will want to argue about it." Ianto said as he tapped the pad he had been holding, "9am we start packing things into the tent what we are taking with us."

"Hold on sweetheart, take it back a step for me" Jack said softly, "How are we moving?"

"Oh." Ianto looked surprised at the question and his frown was adorable, "I forgot to explain. Sorry Cariad. Anyway, the truck Rhys was driving is refrigerated. Right?"

"Yeah" Jack nodded as he recalled Rhys telling them that at the dinner table earlier.

"I remembered us saying to the kids about the vacuum in the freezer and realised the back of the truck is airtight." Ianto said slowly "If we can get everyone in the back of the truck they are airtight too."

Jack leaned back with a nod to show he was still listening.

"The problem will be Owen mostly. Gwen will make Rhys agree but Owen will be the one" Ianto sighed, "He doesn't realise that you will come back. He will work out first that someone has to drive the truck to a rendezvous spot and that person will get poisoning. Likely deadly. Owen will want to."

"I will have to explain about my gift, or we trick them so they don't realise until it's done" Jack nodded then motioned for him to continue.

"We get everyone in and go to an agreed spot, likely the main square" Ianto sighed, "We will be announcing ourselves to anyone still alive out there and the Valiant will only have a small window to get us. Bar a roadblock between here and there, a flat tyre, etc."

"OK, go back to the plan, we can run the Murphy's Laws after" Jack nodded.

"So, 9am we fill one side of the tent like I said. By 10am we are ready to prep the kids. While the kids are occupied getting the animals ready you slip out in a hazmat suit and get the truck. By 10.20ish we are filling the truck in the hazmat suits. The truck is backed into the tent and the tent sealed around it, we have sprayed it down and the kids are told not to touch the sides. We move quickly so the air isn't compromised too much. Then we are ready for the real show. . Kids and animals in, we load the last of the other things and the other members. Noon we eat and by 1pm we roll out. I will go in the front with you in the hazmat suit. We have …shit. We need to make an inner tent in the back of the truck, that can be done in transit I guess. So it the back doors are opened by a third party they are sealed."

"Agreed" Jack said as he leaned forward again, patting Ianto's knee to calm him, "So the second hazmat suit is for Owen who will be between the inner bubble and the doors. Last line of defence if we are ambushed"

"Yeah, only two suits means…."

"I go without and suck it up" Jack nodded. "How do you get Owen to agree?"

"Lie" Ianto said flatly after a few minutes. "We tell him I'm swapping out of the suit to give it to you and he is already in the back waiting to help me up, we simply lock him in. He'll be pissed but he'll live. I think its best we do it that way or too much time will be wasted arguing about a pointless step that has to go that way in the end."

Jack laughed softly as he saw it all play out.

"OK. Pros….we all live. Cons. Truck fails, I die before we get there but you shot-gunning will help with that, others stop us at gunpoint….you stay hidden so if I am shot you continue …." Jack surmised, "Might work babe. We get to the Valiant, we get above the fallout and we live."

"Well, most of us will" Ianto whispered, "I will see you die."

"Momentarily" Jack grimaced.

"A single heartbeat is too much" Ianto snapped, "God. For this to work I have to make you suffer."

"For the children to survive, for you to survive I will suffer gladly Ianto."

Jack had never meant it so much.

For Ianto he would die a thousand times over.


	13. 6.30pm

Tea was early as the kids were tired, a blessing as Jack settled at the head of the table and placed his hand on the piece of paper Ianto's timeframe was written on. With the kids in the bathroom preparing to go to bed early they could talk freely.

"We have a plan" he said calmly as cups of coffee were placed down and everyone turned to listen, "Ianto?"

Ianto laid it out…the abridged version without the Captain dying and Owen tricked but you get the idea.

Gwen immediately started pulling at Rhys' arm "I think we should stay here, I don't want to go. What if we can't get there?"

"We've thought of contingencies" Jack said boldly, "We have plans for that. Tosh and Stephen will work remote cars ahead to check the area is clear, Owen will work a drone. We will see about half a mile down the road before we even get near an ambush or roadblock and can have time to either floor it and smash through or use an alternate plan."

"I have an idea on that, will talk to you after in case you don't want it as an option" Ianto said softly, turning to look at Owen who raised an eyebrow then nodded.

"I still think our best bet is to wait it out" Gwen said, "These…Valiant people…"

"Unit" Tosh said softly, "It's Unit."

"Not….really" Ianto grimaced and Jack snorted.

"It has been …ah….requisitioned." Jack grinned, "I have control and once we are on board I will be the Captain of the craft. Torchwood Cardiff will own that boat!"

Ianto smiled as Tosh looked at him for confirmation and her face softened, "So…Unit will have to salute and lick my boots?"

"Well, I would prefer those knee highs you have but beggars can't be choosers I guess" Ianto replied then slapped his hand over his mouth as Jack roared with laughter.

"I know what you meant darling, but Goddess saves, I just got the image of you in them standing there snarling down at a minion. Goddess, that does things to me." Jack purred.

"Stop it!" Ianto blushed, "Me sister doesn't need to know about your … proclivities!"

Rhiannon laughed as she watched Ianto blush and then look at Jack with open affection as Jack raised Ianto's hand and kissed the knuckles gently.

"Gwen, if you want to stay, by all means stay" Rhiannon said to her, "My kids go with me brother, like me! He will die before he lets my babies have a moment of danger. I now believe Alice's …well. Father, let's all let it go. We all know who we are here. I believe that Alice's father would do the same with Stephen!"

"Agreed" Jack nodded, "My family are my world."

Jack glanced at Ianto and saw only grim determination as he glanced down at the list so Jack went back to it.

"So, there is a list for each of us, including our timeframes to get each task done" Jack said as he slid the carefully written sheets to each person but held back on Rhys' and Gwen's. Rhys reached out for the one with his name on it and picked it up. Jack removed his hand so only Gwen's remained.

"Those kids come first Gwen" Rhys said firmly, "We are all family here. If you've missed that fact I don't know what else to say."

She reached out and took hers from the table with a look of woe.

"I can pack up my stuff tonight" Tosh said gleefully, "Help the kids tomorrow?"

"Yes. I need Rhiannon helping with the main move, she knows what they do and don't need better than anyone else but we don't want them to worry. I don't want them to know until it happens so they don't have time to panic or get scared about it" Ianto said, "I want them to have a good night's sleep."

"We all need one" Jack said as he pushed away from the table. I suggest we all retire for a while, dicuss, dismiss or add. We all need to be on the same page tomorrow. No stuff ups or changes. We will be on the clock."

"Ianto?" Jack said as they started to move away, "Your idea?"

"Yeah, Owen" Ianto said and the three moved into a huddle.

"I want an explosive charge on your drone that we send up tomorrow. Also one of the cars. I want something that might clear a roadblock or…those who made it" Ianto explained, "I don't want Rhia or Gwen to know. Rhia would worry that we blow something up and Gwen would want to use it before considering other options."

"Well, we could shove her out to reason with them" Owen muttered, "Maybe after a while with her they will all commit hari-kari and we can just drive past."

Ianto giggled as he slapped at Owen and Owen looked at his friend with the realisation that they really were good friends. He enjoyed this Welshman's humour and reactions to him.

Bugger it took this to make him see.

Also…

He knew they had something up their sleeve but he had learnt long ago not to ask that bloody fool of a captain what he was up to.

He would never do them wrong.


	14. 8.00pm

I feel like an old man, in bed with the sun still setting" Jack snorted as he settled into the bed next to Ianto.

"I know we said it's to conserve the fuel and no lights so as not go advertise our position but really, I am so bloody tired, wish I could sleep deeply" Ianto yawned, "Keep drifting, half-pie listening for sounds."

"I'm sorry I overruled you on the night shift but I could see you were hurting" Jack whispered softly as he let his hand rub small circles on Ianto's hip, "Besides. We both know tomorrow I need you functioning on all levels for me. For us sweetling."

"I know Cariad" Ianto sighed, his lips finding Jack's throat as Jack pulled him tighter. "I love you Jax."

Jack closed his eyes as he held his love tightly, revelling in the warmth of his soft body and Ianto hummed as he nuzzled against his neck.

"Uncle?"

"David?" Ianto turned his head to find his nephew by the bed, then rolled to face him.

"Micha is crying, Mama is in the bed with her coz she thinks we can't keep the baby rabbits. They're called kits ya know" David stage whispered, "We are keeping them too, right?"

"Yes love, they are already in a travel cage, right?" Ianto yawned and settled back as Jack spooned against him. "Their mama is feeding them and we are feeding her and if and when we leave they will come with."

"OK" David sloped off, the black cape flapping and Jack sighed.

"Poor little buggers" he said as he now rubbed Ianto's stomach, "They are so scared and being so brave."

"Yeah, Gwen could learn a thing or two" Ianto frowned, so bloody fed up. "I thought we locked that fucking door."

Jack slid from the bed and crept over, doing just that then shot back to the bed noting the chill in the air.

"Fuck, cold feet" Ianto grunted as he rubbed his own back against Jack's and Jack cuddled beck into the warm spot.

"Can't sleep" Ianto grunted after a while, "Brain box overflowing."

"Come on sweetheart" Jack crooned, his hand sliding into the PJs and he palmed his love, gently tugging as Ianto leaned back and groaned, then Jack slid their PJs down and rubbed his hard-on between Ianto's cheeks.

Jack expertly twisted his wrist in just the right way as Ianto started to buck and writhe, letting Jack's dick find the cavern between his legs, rubbing his nob against Ianto's balls.

They rocked and sighed softly as they both sought some release from their nerves and Ianto was first to cum in Jack's hand, grunting as he ground against him and Jack barked softly as he followed, splashing the arse and thighs of his beloved.

Ianto lay gasping at the suddenness and violence of the act as Jack reach for the t-shirt he had dropped by the bed and wiped them both clean, then dropped it again.

"Better?" Jack whispered as he began the lazy rubbing of Ianto's stomach again.

"Mmmmmmarvelous" Ianto purred and Jack kissed his neck as he tried to encourage him to sleep.

Ianto's breathing lengthened, deepened and then a soft snore as Jack eased him onto his back and he rose to get a cloth to clean them both more thoroughly, then after a moment of 'sweetling watching' he stole down the hallway to listen to the house, glad to hear them all at peace.

He checked on Stephen and found the cats in the bed, all three heads swivelling to stare at him and he raised a hand in apology, shutting the door before a giggle could burst out. If there was one thing he had learnt about these aliens it was their lack of humour if it was about themselves.

He listened to the door where Rhiannon's voice was softly singing a lullaby and he then went down to find Alice sitting at the screens filling her nails.

"OK love?" he whispered.

"Yeah, is Stephen asleep?"

"Three cat squish" Jack confirmed, "Big day tomorrow, want me to take a few hours?"

"You sure?" she asked.

"Go on, go cuddle the boy" Jack nodded, "I'll wake Owen soon enough."

Jack watched her go and grinned as he thanked the gods for sparing her and his lovely grandson.

He settled to watch the deer walking across the car park in the night vision and checked the clock.

He would wake Owen at 1am and go back to bed, hopefully Ianto would sleep a little without him in the bed with his 51st century hormones making Ianto's dick twitch.

Although to be fair….

Ianto's accent was a fair weapon too.

END DAY TWO


End file.
